How to Set Up Your Benelli M1 or M2 for 3 Gun
The question of what do I need to do to my Benelli to get it ready for 3 gun comes up a lot! The most obvious answer is to send it to a good gun smith like Mike Cyrwus at Accurate Iron or Benny Hill at Triangle Shooting Sports with a blank check. But for those of you that are interested in what you are going to get here is the list of things I (meaning Kurt Miller and Mike Cyrwus) have done to my Benelli M1 & M2 to make them winners.
To customize the Benelli M1/2 for 3 gun you will want the following accessories. I will start from the muzzle and work my way to the butt stock.
Briley Extended Choke Tubes The M1 uses the Mobile choke system. The M2 uses the CRIO Plus choke system. The black choke tubes look blend nicely with your barrel and mag tube moreso than the stainless ones do. I run a Diffusion, Light Modified, and a on a rare occasion a Full choke. Light Modified is used about 98% of the time in 3 gun. If you only have the jack for one choke. Get the LM.
+5 or +6 Nordic Components Extended Magazine Tube. The +5 tube will allow you to run an 8+1 configuration in your Benelli. A lot of shooters like the +6 tube so that they can run 9+1 at matches that allow you to add more ammo after the buzzer. Since a lot of stages are setup with 9-10 rounds this allows you to add one more shell ASAP to the tube after the buzzer goes off and avoid that dreaded and slow slide lock reload.
Hi Viz Tri Comp Front Sight There are a bunch of options in shotgun front sights out there so this item is definitely a personal preference one. I will say that Hi Viz is a huge sponsor of 3 gun and other shooting sports so buying from them is supporting the sport. This model comes with green, red, and white light pipes. Each color comes with a small round, large round, and a triangular shape pipe.
Nordic Components Shotgun Tube Clamp This is not a must have option as the magazine extensions are pretty damn tough. That being said there are horror stories out there of people breaking mag extension tubes when grounding their gun in a barrel or banging them into a wall/port or just shooting with them unclamped so much that the horrific recoil impulse shakes them enough to induce a fatigue faliure in the threads. Personally, I don't run one unless I need to run a sling on my shotgun. It just adds more weight up fon the front of the gun. Slinging shotguns is not done at most matches but it is required at some. This is definately an item you can order at a later date when required by the match you plan to attend. You could also borrow your buddies as he will not be shooting at the same time that you are shooting. You should be aware that you can change the point of impact of your slugs significantly when you clamp one of these on your shotgun barrrel. So test your gun before the match the see if the POA and POI shift with the clamp attatched.
10-32 X 1/2" Dome Stud This screws into the Nordic Barrel Clamp. It allows you to attach your sling's sling swivel to the front end of your Benelli.
Viking Tactics Padded Sling The padded version is the way to go here.
QD Sling Swivel This goes on the barrel end of your VTAC sling and attaches to the 10-32 X 1/2" Dome Stud. Any old brand will do. You probably already have a set or five of these in the closet already.
10/22 Folding Rear Sight To aid in sight alignment when shooting slugs the 10/22 rear sight is very popular. I have a hole drilled into the back of my vent rib and it is painted white. I aligned the the white hole in the vent rib with the front fiber optic light pipe for windage alignment. Another good option I have seen here is to dovetail a XS Big Dot rear wedge style sight into the rear of the vent rib. This one is personal preference. The 10/22 is the most precise but the largest even though it folds down. The hole drilled into the rib is the least precise but does not obstruct your vision when not in use. The XS sight is a compromise between the 10/22 and the hole in the rib.
Stippled Forearm and Pistol Grip - The plastic used on the Benelli forearm and stock are kind of slick. I have tried grip tape but it always wears down and usually moves around too. Get a good sandpaper or scalloped stippling job done for sure.
Lifter Welded Up, Extended, and Tuned This is the one thing you cannot live without on your Benelli. The stock lifter will trap your thumb in the loading port when you least expect it. C-Rums is the only place that I know fo that welds/extends them. Accurate Iron is one f the few gunsmiths that know how to tune them to your gun.
Ported and Polished Loading Port The loading port is pretty tight from the factory. If you want to speed up your reloads both weak and strong handed you gotta open this baby up. It will also save your thumb from wear and tear during the hours and hours and hours of reloading practice.
Bolt Lightened and Modified This is a nice insurance policy that your gun will run lighter loads such as reduced recoil slugs and buckshot. You can also run some lighter bird shot loads for those hoser clay stages with the lightened bolt too. Plus the Accurate Iron bolt just looks badass! The other modifications allow you to be able to load the gun if the bolt is out of battery and you can load an extra round on the lifter (ghost load). Some M1's will allow you load a round on the lifter in the stock configuration.
Extended/Oversized Bolt Handle I like the Nordic Component standard handle. Nordic's new Big Fat handle is nice as well if you want more to grab onto.
Side Saddle If you plan to load with your strong hand you are going to have to run some rounds on the side of your gun. The Otto Products or 3 Gun Gear are both great.
Slide Lock 2 Round Caddy Running out of ammo is inevitable with a shotgun so why not plan for it? These caddies put the ammo right next to the loading port. I should mention that these caddies can interfere with some methods of racking the bolt which is why I do not use one currently.
Oversized Bolt Release These are almost a must have item. They provide a larger footprint to bump when you have to load from slide lock and get a round in the chamber quick. There is no searching just get close. The Dave's Metal Works and the Arredondo button are my favorites.
Oversized Safety Button This is only needed on the M1. The M2 comes with a large button from the factory.
Viking Tactics Sling Buttstock Adapter The VTAC sling requires you to attach the sling at the top rear of the buttstock. You can't use the hole that is molded into the bottom of the stock and effectively deploy the VTAC sling. If you want to go old school you can run a sling swivel through the factory loop but its not as fast because you can really only sling over your shoulder or back with that method.
Limbsaver Recoil Pad This is most often times used on the M1 models as they do not come with the Comfortech Stock.
I'll try to post some pictures of my guns tomorrow.
